A process whereby policies and practices of racial segregation are undone through legislative action, social change, school reorganization, and educational programs.

Desegregation is a difficult concept to define, and social scientists, educators, and activists have struggled to formulate a consistent, unified definition. There seems to be general agreement that the concept "desegregation" denotes the legal and actual abolition of racial segregation, particularly in education. The terms "desegregation" and "integration" are often used interchangeably, but many writers clearly distinguish these two terms, emphasizing that "integration" implies a higher level of social cohesion which desegregation does not necessarily guarantee.

Desegregation is a relatively recent phenomenon. As late as the 1950s, segregation was legal, upheld by a 1896 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson. In what has been defined as a blatant violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, the Supreme Court permitted racial segregation of public—including educational—facilities. Aimed...